A seeker of possibilities, inventor Clarence Birdseye (1886–1956), father of the frozen food industry, was born on this day in Brooklyn, New York.

After studying biology, he left Amherst College to work as a fur trader in the cold expanse of Labrador. There, he learned from the Inuit that ice, wind, and temperature could freeze fresh fish quickly and cleanly. When cooked, the fish tasted almost the same as when it was caught.

Birdseye later saw that vegetables could be preserved in barrels of frozen water. Each discovery opened a new path. Recognizing an opportunity, he returned to New York in 1924 and founded Birdseye Seafoods, Inc., creating a method to quick-freeze food for future meals. The frozen-food industry began with that spark.

“I do not consider myself a remarkable person,” he said. “I am just a guy with a very large bump of curiosity and a gambling instinct.”

Birdseye’s inventive mind reached beyond food. He owned more than 200 patents, including designs for a kick-less whale harpoon, industrial lighting, and infrared lamps. He once remarked, “Mix your knowledge with imagination and apply both.”